The 1000 Things Challenge
Minimalism opened my eyes many years ago, and today, I still reap its benefits. I still have a long way to go, but I am way closer than before. I’ve tried many different methods of removing things and decluttering, but by far the easiest way is to make a challenge of something you don’t really want to do because it’s hard, it takes time, or some other reason you keep telling yourself.
The Minimalists created a 30-Day Minimalism Game where you get rid of 1 item on the first day, 2 on the second, 3 on the third, and so on. At the end of the month, you will get rid of 465 items you no longer need. If the month has 31 days, you will get rid of 496 items. That’s a lot. Trust me. A lot.
But maybe the Mins game is not for everyone. It’s certainly fun and challenging, but finding the time and objects to remove on day 15+ becomes a chore. It’s not easy as it sounds in the first place. I don’t want to discourage you from playing it, because it’s amazing, I just want to offer an alternative – The 1000 Things Challenge.
The 1000 Things Challenge
The first time I completed Mins Game, I made a big dent in my stuff. But it was hard, and on some days even frustrating. I remember that I spent more than 3 hours on day 27 to find 27 things I wanted to remove. That’s a lot of time I could have spent on something else.
After successfully removing almost 500 items from my life, I was so proud of myself. But that only started an avalanche of removing unnecessary from my life. In the following months, I removed even more material belongings. And as I had fewer things, I began to notice that I had more time, energy, money, and freedom.
…
I still had lots of belongings, so I invented a challenge for myself. I can remove as many items as I want every day. Or every two days, or every weekend. Or whenever I have time. Soon, the 1000 things challenge was born.
Today I would like to challenge you to remove 1000 things from your life in the next few months.
The 1000 Things Challenge Rules
Every good challenge needs to have rules. The best thing about the 1000 things challenge is that YOU make your own rules. You decide which steps to take every day. Then after trying it, check if they’re good or they need adjustment. Feel free to change it, nothing is set in stone.
You can choose your own tempo. Maybe you need only a day, a month, 3 months or a year. It doesn’t really matter. All you have to do is color a box for each item that leaves your home and life. You can remove 5 items in a day, or 555. It doesn’t matter. Make it so it works for you.
You can do it alone, with a partner, friend, or family member for extra motivation. See who can find more items or finish the 1000 Things Challenge first. You can even make a bet. Whoever loses needs to cook dinner for the other. Or something else.
Be Flexible
The whole point of this challenge is to reduce stress levels and free up your time so you can allocate it where it matters. Therefore, don’t stress if you don’t know what to remove. Just live day by day, and you will soon see how fast things accumulate and stuff finds its way to your wallet, home, and life.
You’re not only removing things from your life and home, you’re removing disappointment, fear, anxiety, worry, doubt, stress, frustration, comparison…
For extra motivation and inspiration, check my post 100 Things to Get Rid of Today.
A Few Tips to Make it Easier
- Download the printable PDF and color a box for each item leaving your home
- Have a donation station
- Take time to declutter each day, weekend, or month
- Set a deadline (optional, but motivational). You don’t want to do this challenge for longer than a year.
Click here to download your Free printable PDF. The point of this printable is to serve as a visual motivator for removing things from your life and home. I really enjoy counting how many items I’ve removed, and seeing it in this simple form is even more motivating because you know at all times how much stuff you’ve parted with exactly, and where on your journey toward simpler life you are.
If you cannot find 1000 things to remove, don’t sweat. The real point of this challenge is to make you think, not just the physical act of removing items. And even if you don’t remove as much as you wanted, you’ll be a few steps closer to the life you want and deserve.
Thousand starts with one.
Cheers!
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